Chapter 44
Emma didn't know what to do. She wasn't happy that Regina was taking Shannon's hand, but she was powerless to stop it as the continued down the interstate back towards Maine. She let Regina take her hand, but she constantly watched in the rearview mirror. She wanted to take Regina's hand but she wasn't sure what would happen if she did it while Regina was touching Shannon. She knew that she had to keep her eyes on the road.
"My Queen, do you believe?"
"I always believe," Regina stated.
She was turned as far as she could be in the seat to reach Shannon. Birgit helped move Shannon closer to the front seat and to Regina. She held both their hands together for a second before she released them letting Shannon know that she could start.
"Regina, did you ever hear the prophecies of the rebirth of Avalon?"
"Your mother may have mentioned them to me, once or twice. I wasn't really a scholar when it came to prophecies. I more or less believed that I just do whatever I wanted a through magic. I wasn't really a person that cared about anyone else at the time. I was more hell bent on killing Snow and exacting my revenge than studying anything that your mother told me."
"I see."
"Tell me."
"It would be easier to show you."
"Then show me everything. I am ready. I am willing to learn."
"Sometimes knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Trust me though. You'll want to see this," Shannon told her as she tightened her grip on Regina.
Regina could feel a warmth building between her hands. A soft glow started between their hands. Birgit smiled up at Emma in the mirror. Her eyes conveyed enough to calm her fears as she heard Shannon begin to whisper in a language long forgotten by man.
She stood in the castle. Birgit was beside her. The small pink bundle of joy was crying, but once Birgit touched its head, it stopped. Rhiannon smiled at her little sister and the head of her personal guard.
"Do they know why I am here?" Birgit asked her.
"No, I haven't told them."
"You're sure that Mara is going to betray us?"
"Yes, I am. Shannon is the child of prophecy. I have seen it, Birgit. I wish it wasn't so, but I don't know how long I will have her. I need to know that you will protect her."
"Of course I will. Why would ask such a thing? She is my flesh as well."
"You will have to run with her. You cannot have any contact with me. Mara will attempt the switch tonight. No matter what you hear, you cannot come back for me. Swear it, Sister. Swear to me that you will not abandon her for my life. She is the next Pendragon's wife. She will reunite the people. Take her tonight, once the cover of darkness has come over the land. I will do my best to survive and I will use the mirror magic of Regina to watch over you both. I know that there will come a day when I must send you away from this realm. I will give you the necessary provisions to protect you both, but you must swear to leave her side. She is the most precious treasure for Tir Nan Og, now."
"I will protect her with my life, Rhiannon. She is the Princess of Tir Nan Og and if the prophecies are true, then she shall be Queen of Avalon. I am your first knight and I shall be hers, dear sister. Fear not for her, I will protect her. "
"You will have thirteen years, thirteen months, thirteen days and thirteen hours before you will have to flee. I will prepare the way. I will send what I can. I will do what I can with my magic. But, you have to believe me that I will always be watching over you both," Rhiannon told her baby sister with tears in her eyes.
"I do, sister. I do. But, if the prophecy is true, what about Arthur's descendants?"
"The Pendragon will not be of our realm. He will be of a land of magic, but will be born in a land without magic. You will find him. He will find you. He will have the biggest heart known to man. He will be a great believer in all things magical in a world without it. His birth will be foretold. I will send the texts before you, so that the realm he lives in will know of his coming. He will become the Champion of Avalon, the Pendragon King, and he is a prince."
"Can you tell me more?" Birgit asked.
"Not until I see it. His future is so far off, I fear that I might not live to see it fully happen. I will be deposed in the morning. There is no time for goodbyes, sister. Take the babe, and go. And, always, remember that I love you both, so very much. Kiss her goodnight for me."
"Every night, sister, every night," Birgit told her.
She laid the babe down on the table before her. She grabbed her short swords and put them in the scabbards at the small of her back. She attached her quiver at her right hip. She tucked the Princess dagger in the boot. She straightened her mail shirt. She took her long sword and magicked it down to a broad sword size, placing it on her right hip. She then took her backpack that she had food, water and other essentials packed in and placed the babe inside, making sure to keep her bundled and safe.
Birgit gave her sister a longing look, grabbed the pack and put it on her back. Rhiannon took her sister by the shoulders, pressed their foreheads together and looked into her eyes. She could see the tears of goodbye, but she smiled at her sister.
"Live. Laugh. Love," Rhiannon told them.
"Survive. Smile. Soar."
"Until we meet again, sister."
"To the rebirth of Avalon," Birgit said in salute and left the queen's chambers.
"To the rebirth of Avalon and the joining of two realms," Rhiannon whispered as she collapsed in a heap on the floor.
She didn't have a moment to herself before the King's men came in to arrest her. Mara had already worked her deception with her husband's help. Shannon was gone. He supposedly had a son and Rhiannon was no longer queen. Tir Nan Og was about to split into a bloody civil war, but in her heart Rhiannon knew that Shannon and Birgit were safe. At that moment, that was all that mattered, for the welfare of Shannon, the people of Tir Nan Og, and an imprisoned mother.
Regina sighed as Shannon let go of her hands. She stared out the window. Emma stole a glance from her side of the car, but she was waiting for Regina to say something. They all heard the tears, but thankfully, they were all waiting on Regina.
Finally, unable to take it anymore, Emma asked, "What is it, Baby?"
"She gave you up to save you."
"Who? What? Snow?" Emma asked in reply.
"No, Rhiannon sent Shannon away with Birgit to save them both. She knew what was coming. She knew she could fight it, but she chose not to do anything but let things play out the way the prophecy stated. She could have stopped it. But, she did nothing, because she knew that if she did you would never find your happiness," Regina mused.
"She did."
"But, she couldn't know. There was nothing to prove that her thoughts and the prophecy was actually you. How could she know that? Why would she trust a prophecy over her own love for her child? How could she just send you away?"
"To give me my best chance," Shannon stated.
"She did what any mother would do for their child. If they knew that they could protect it, and somehow it would be better to send it away, they would with all the love they could give it, hoping that one day that they would come back. She did it out of love, not desperation or need. She did it because she knew that Shannon would be better off without her," Emma replied.
"Emma…"
"No, she did it to save Shannon's life. It had nothing to do with the prophecy. She sent Shannon away to save her from Mara. She sent Birgit with her to make sure that stayed safe. She was trying to ensure that her daughter would remain safe even if she wasn't with her," Emma replied. "She got something that I didn't. She got the same thing that Henry had with you."
"What was that?" Shannon asked.
"To be loved," Emma stated and then said nothing more.
Regina knew that Emma wouldn't say anymore. The issues between Snow and Emma still weighed heavy on Regina's heart, but for the life of her, Emma still couldn't blame her for Snow's actions. She loved Emma, and she loved Henry, but she still didn't understand why anyone would give up their child without knowing they would be safe. She would have never given up Henry for anything, no matter the reason, or the curse.
"There is more," Shannon told her, putting her hands out again.
"More?" Regina asked and then said. "I am not sure that I am ready for more. I can't."
"You need to. You need to know the truth. You need to see it," Birgit told her.
"I think that I can wait."
"We may not have the time to have that luxury. Mara is moving against us as we speak. She is going to try to get at me. We don't have time to deal with emotion. We need truth. We need to be prepared. If you don't know what might happen to Henry, you can't help me. And, Regina, my Queen, I need your help in this. I need you to stand with your sisters and fight back."
"Let her make her own decisions," Emma stated.
"Thank you, dear, but I think that I can handle this."
"Regina…"
"Emma…"
Regina turned around again and reached out for Shannon's hands. Birgit reached forward and took a hold of her hands. She held them for a brief moment, squeezing them, willing Regina to feel the strength that she had. Shannon reached forward and took Regina's hands, putting them in Shannon's. She felt the magic flowing between them. She let go of their combined hands as the magic built between them.
She was in her castle. The captain of her guard had just interrupted her thoughts by telling her that there were two strangers asking for her at the knight's gate. It was her back gate, and an unknown gate to those of the villages surrounding the castle. They were also asking for asylum.
She rushed down to the gate. She was surprised to see Birgit and some smaller Fae girl. She resembled some of the other Fae that Regina had met in her travels in Tir Nan Og. She knew that Birgit was Rhiannon's little sister and she kept to the shadows. She didn't understand why she would be in Fairy Tale Land, much less the Enchanted Forest.
Regina came out of the portcullis at the gate and stared down at Brigit who immediately knelt down in fealty and started speaking to Regina in Elvish. Regina knelt down to her. Her knights were surprised at her actions but they were smart enough to not say anything to her about. Her captain stood there in disbelief. He couldn't understand what these two women could be to the Queen that she would drop everything to be with them.
"Captain, arrange for quarters for my royal guests," she told him, ushering them in behind her.
He bowed and followed orders. She found her guests in her formal dining room eating their fill. When she entered she noticed that they were alone. Brigit looked up from her plate, bread in hand and smiled at her. She whispered something to the younger girl. She nodded in response, cleaned up her plate and left the room.
"You didn't need to send her away," Regina stated as she sat down beside Birgit.
"I didn't do it for her, Majesty. I did it for you. There are more things that I need to tell you. There is always more to the story than what you think you know. Have you heard word from the Dark One? Will he come?"
"He said that it doesn't behoove him to come at this time in the juncture. He will aid you in your travels, but you will have to come to him. More than that, at this time, he cannot do," Regina told her as she poured herself a goblet of wine.
"Figures, I knew he wouldn't fulfill his obligation to Rhiannon today. He is only interested in himself. It is okay though. I have protected her this long, and I can do it longer. I am sure that the parchments I gave you explained our plight, did they not?" Birgit asked her.
"They did."
"And, what of it?"
"I will do all that I can for you, Birgit. You must know that. I have already developed the spell in which Rhiannon asked. I will not remember this in three days. I have already taken the potion as requested by your sister. You should be gone by then, yes?"
"We will be ready, yes, my Queen."
"Tell me more about her, Birgit. She is Rhiannon's princess, right? By why does she run from Mara? Why are you not fighting this usurper and taking the throne back?"
"It is not our fate."
"Not your fate? So you'll run and wait. That is the cowards way is it not. Why not hit her quickly? Why not take the fight to her? Are you not capable? Are you not a knight?"
"I am, my Queen. But, I am a defender of the realm and as such I take orders from the Queen, alone. She is my commander. My job is to protect her and her line. I will stay with Shannon until I die, because that is my fate. And, it is hers to rule one day."
"Then take her back, and fight for her throne. Why run from it? Why hide here?"
"Because Rhiannon wishes it and the Fates have decided that we should. She hasn't been with her mother since her thirteen hour from birth. I have been at her side since she was born. I shall be at her side at her wedding, at her coronation, and I shall be there when she finds the Pendragon," Birgit told her and then took a sip of her ale from the tankard in front of her.
"The Pendragon?"
"Yes, he will return and when he does, he will lead the people against Mara."
"Do you know who he is?" Regina asked.
"No, we don't. Shannon will know him as soon as she sees him. He will be a knight of the White Rose. And, he will earn Rhiannon's blessing. He will be a fosterling of the House of the Wolf, but be from the House of the Sanctified Swan," Birgit told her, eating another piece of bread.
"House of the Wolf? A Knight of the White Rose? Why are you telling me this?"
"Because, my Queen, he will be your son and he will be a knight of this realm. He will be the first knight of the Order of White Rose. He will be the Defender of Avalon. He will be the Pendragon. Nothing that you do will change the order of events. He will be your son and you will love him, but he will not be of your body," Birgit told her.
"Rhiannon has foreseen this?"
"Yes, my Queen, she has. She knows what happened to you at the hands of Leopold. She knows that you want a child. She isn't doing this to hurt you. She has no control over this and neither do you. Oh, yes, my Queen Regina, I know how you like your control. Your kingdom bows to your control except for your pursuit of its own daughter, Snow White."
"You dare to speak of things you don't understand!" Regina barked at her.
"Oh, my Queen, I do understand. I understand completely and maybe more than you know. But, that isn't why we are here. We are here to save an allied realm and a kingdom that you, yourself have pledged allegiance to defend, Regina. Have you forgotten your oath?"
"No, I haven't forgotten."
"Then lead the House of the Wolf and wait for Rhiannon to tap your son, the Pendragon," Birgit told her, took another drink and stood taking her tankard as she left the hall.
Regina didn't dare stop her. She knew that she didn't have the power. All the she knew was that Birgit was asking her to continue to fulfill her duty to her to Rhiannon. She sat there with her goblet of wine and wondered how long she would be indebted to Rhiannon for the misgivings and mistrust of her teenage self. She drank some more wine and looked at her hands. She poked the small scar on the inside of her hand and tears came from her eyes.
"Merlin's balls, I shall never be rid of her. I shall owe her until I die. But, what she doesn't know is that I will always do it willingly. She saved me from myself and she's tried to do it, again and again. I guess that is our fight together. I will be able to help you and you will continue to save me from myself. Hopefully one day, we will find our conclusion with my son's fate. I hope that we will come together again and show the realms how powerful we are. But, first, my dear Fae sister, I must kill Snow," Regina spoke, took another drink and then continued, "No, Rhiannon, I have not forgotten our pact on the Phoenix Hills. I cannot forget. You've made sure of that, didn't you? Damn you, Rhiannon, damn you and your Fae magic."
Shannon let her hands go and sat back. She was tired and starting to get hungry. Birgit was immediately next to her, calming her and whispering to her in Elvish. Regina turned around, again, and looked out the windshield. Emma gave her a sideways glance but waited for her to speak. She would trust Regina when it came to the two women in the backseat. She really didn't have a choice. Regina knew more about them than she did.
"No, Shannon, I haven't forgotten. I will never forget. Birgit, do you know how long?"
"My Queen?"
"How long, Birgit?"
"How long until what?" Birgit asked.
"Until Merlin comes for Rhiannon?"
"I dinnae know, my Queen. But, if he does come for her, he'll be more likely to be looking for your boy. The Ulf have been waiting. The Pendragon will be named in less than a month's time whether we like it or not, Regina. We need to get back before they come here."
"I know."
"This world would not be ready for what the Merlin will do to find him. We need to get her and your boy to Tir Nan Og. We need to go today," Birgit replied.
"Emma, we need to get home. Now. Henry needs us," Regina told her.
It was all that Emma needed to hear. She knew that Regina would deal with any of the law enforcement that might try to stop them. She only hoped that they would make it back to Storybrooke before Merlin turned up. She could only hope that he didn't turn out to be some whack job like Pan had turned out to be. She didn't think that she could handle another one of her favorite myths turning into a villain. Merlin couldn't be a bad guy, well, at least she hoped that he wasn't. She didn't dwell on that fact too long because she felt her magic merge with Regina's, as soon as Regina's hand touched her body.
Emma closed her eyes for a second allowing the magic to flow through her body. When she opened them, they were just outside Storybrooke. She sucked in a breath as she drove passed the "Welcome to Storybrooke" sign. She looked at Regina as they made their way into town, but when Regina didn't say anything, she just drove to their home on Mifflin Street.